Delivery and replacement of disposable, living-grass pet toilet units

ABSTRACT

A portable, fully-disposable, pet toilet is comprised of a receptacle whose cavity is fitted with living grass, living sod (including washed or soil-free sod), or a grass-seed medium. The unit has a fitted, removable cover or fold-back lid to enable the convenient shipping and disposal of the unit in its entirety. The pet toilet is used by the pet for a set period of time, at which point it is completely disposed of and replaced with a new one.

CLAIM OF PRIOR APPLICATION FILING DATE

Claim of Priority: This Continuation Application claims priority throughand the benefits of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/361,554,which was filed on Jul. 6, 2010 for a utility patent, and applicationSer. No. 13/175,869, entitled a “Portable and Disposable Living-GrassPet Toilet,” which was filed Jul. 3, 2011 for a utility patent, waspublished on Jan. 12, 2012 as Publication No. U.S. 2012/0006274 A1, ArtUnit 3643 (attached), and was approved for an allowance. The ParentApplication has undergone amendments, as noted on the USPTO website.This Continuing Application incorporates, by reference, all of thesepatent documents and related documents in their entirety, including theSpecification of the Parent application Ser. No. 13/175,869. The Parentapplication Ser. No. 13/175,869, as amended, has been granted anallowance and is scheduled to issue.

Inventor: I declare that I am the sole applicant and inventor on thisContinuing Application, and that I am also the sole applicant andinventor on the Parent application Ser. No. 13/175,869. I declare, underpenalty of perjury, that the foregoing statement is true and correct.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to pet waste receptacles. Morespecifically, the invention constitutes a portable and fully-disposablereceptacle that is impermeable to liquids and is fitted with livinggrass.

The portable and disposable living-grass pet toilet solves one of themost annoying and daunting problems faced by pet owners—dealing with apet's bodily wastes. Owners who must leave their dogs unattended at homefor long periods of time have few options for meeting their dog'selimination needs. Moreover, walking dogs in the rain or late at nightare situations that most pet owners would like to avoid if at allpossible for reasons of comfort and personal security. The limitedmobility of older dog owners, as well as old or injured dogs, can alsomake dealing with pet waste a difficult issue. Individuals who live inapartment buildings can also find it inconvenient to walk their dogsfrequently. To address these types of problems, others have proposeddevices that allow dogs to relieve themselves indoors, as the needarises, without being taken on an outdoor walk by their owners. Examplesinclude the following:

U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,121 to Brazzell discloses an animal toilet usingsynthetic grass and a disposable and absorbent pad for absorbing waste.The absorbent pad must be manually replaced and the synthetic grasscleaned and disinfected as bacteria will build up over time.

U.S. Pat. No. 10,880,285 to Hillman discloses a rigid mesh screen atop aurine collection chamber. Urine collects at the base of the tray and ismanually disposed of by the owner as needed.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,363 to MacLaine discloses a live grass mat that issupported by a permanent container that holds a reservoir of water. Overtime, dog urine will kill the live grass, making it necessary to changeout and replace the grass. This is often a messy and unpleasant job forthe dog owner.

While these and similar types of devices provide a means to collect petwaste indoors, they suffer from a number of disadvantages. When apermanent, reusable container holds non-perishable materials (artificialgrass or screens), the pet owner must periodically clean and/ordisinfect the entire container, its base, and/or some of its permanentcomponent parts to prevent odor and bacterial build-up. Alternatively,if a permanent, reusable container holds living grass, the grass must bechanged out and replaced. When living grass is handled in this manner itcan be an inconvenient, messy, and burdensome task.

In contrast, this invention is distinctively different from and moreadvantageous than other pet toilets in that it constitutes anintegrated, fully-disposable unit, which is formed by fitting adisposable receptacle that is impermeable to liquids with living grass.The unit has no permanent base or non-perishable components, such asartificial grass or grates, which need to be cleaned and/or disinfected.The unit has no urine-filled parts that need to be removed from thepermanent container and replaced. Instead, the integrated unit describedherein is conveniently transported and disposed of, in its entirety.Convenience is a hallmark of this invention because there is nomaintenance.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a unit consisting of two main parts: (1) afully-disposable integrated unit impermeable to liquids, and (2) a pieceof living grass, living sod (including washed or soil-free sod), or amedium containing and germinating grass seeds, said grass being fittedwithin the unit's cavity. It is the integration of these elements into afully-disposable and easy to ship unit that constitutes the invention.

A portable, fully-disposable in-door pet toilet is provided, whichintegrates several features into a single unit. It includes a receptaclemade from or coated with an impermeable material. It has a plurality ofsidewalls that rise from the base of the receptacle and connect to forman internal cavity into which a piece of living grass is fitted for thepurpose of collecting the bodily waste of pets. It has a fitted,removable or fold-back cover that facilitates the unit's transport anddisposability. The unit can be placed on a level surface—such as afloor—within a home, patio or balcony for convenient access by pets.Designed for delivery to customers at regular, specified intervals, theportable, fully-disposable, integrated unit does not require theemptying of catchment trays, or the cleaning and/or disinfection of anyartificial components, or the replacement of any component parts. Theintegrated unit is designed to be delivered in its entirety and to bediscarded in its entirety when the shipment of a new unit arrives.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and advantages of this invention are better understood withregard to the following drawings. The drawings consist of the following:

FIG. 1 provides three-dimensional side views with a slight diagonalperspective of the entire pet toilet and its removable parts.

FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional side view, with a slight diagonalperspective, showing how the bases of two separate units can be joinedtogether if optional perforations are removed and the bases arepositioned so that they are abutting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIG. 1, the living grass, 12 is fitted into the base of theunit 10, which has a fitted, removable lid 13. The base of the unit 10may have one or more perforations that enable the removal of a piece ofmaterial from the side of the base 10 to provide an optional tear-out asshown by 11, or alternatively, an optional fold-down 11. The optionaltear-outs or fold-downs can permit easy access to the grass for puppiesand very small dogs.

As shown in FIG. 2, these tear-outs can also be used to join togetherthe bases of two or more units 10 to create a surface area for largerdogs. For this purpose, clips or other devices may be included to securetwo or more units together.

In FIG. 1, the unit's base 10 and/or cover 13 are constructed of orcoated with a material that is impermeable to liquids. Corrugatedcardboard with a wax coating could be used for this specific purpose.The surface of the base of the unit 10 may have a coating or sealantcomprised of vitamins and/or other nutrients or substances that willhelp prolong the life of the living grass.

In FIG. 1, the preferred shape of the unit's base 10 and cover 13 isshown as a rectangle; however, other shapes are possible. The removablecover 13 or parts of the base 10 may have holes or perforations tofoster air circulation during transport. When the unit is at the pet'slocation, the cover 13 is removed or folded over to allow the pet entryinto the unit. When the unit is ready for disposal, the cover 13 isagain placed over the unit's base 10 to provide extra assurance that theindividual handling the unit will avoid messy and unpleasant conditionsduring the disposal process. The fully integrated unit 10, 12, 13 isthen disposed of in its entirety.

An odor or liquid absorbing material or substance may be used betweenthe base of the unit 10 and the living grass 12. The living grass 12 maybe treated with an insect repellent and/or an odor suppressant. It maybe treated with a substance(s) that breaks down urine and fecal matter.

A substance may be used to adhere the bottom of the living grass 12 tothe base of the unit 10 so that it remains in place during shipment.

There are different methods to increase the amount of living grass 12that can fit inside a pet toilet container. Living grass 12 may beaffixed to both the inside of the base 10 and inside of the lid 13,creating two separate toilets that can be combined to form a largerarea. Alternatively, a different style container may be used. One suchstyle is a suitcase box that can carry a piece of grass that is foldedover or rolled up during shipment. In such a design, the lid would foldout to become part of the base that contains the grass.

While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one ofordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be thebest mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand andappreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents ofthe specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The inventionshould therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment,method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within thescope and spirit of the invention as claimed.

CLAIMS OF CONTINUING APPLICATION

This Continuing Application is consistent with and supported by thesubstance of the disclosures made in the Claims, Specification, andDrawings of the Parent application Ser. No. 13/175,869, and the variousiterations of that application's Claims during its prosecution.

For the Specification for this Continuing Application, please refer toand use the Specification of the Parent application Ser. No. 13/175,869,which is attached.

The Parent application Ser. No. 13/175,869 discloses and claims aninvention that is directed toward:

constructing a pet toilet, wherein a single, integrated unit is created,said unit having a receptacle made from, lined with, or coated with aliquid impermeable material, and a plurality of sidewalls that rise froma base of the receptacle and connect to form an internal cavity intowhich a piece of living grass is fitted for the purpose of collectingthe bodily waste of a pet; and

establishing a delivery and replacement method for the continuousdelivery and replacement of pet toilet units, each unit constructed in amanner substantially similar to the unit previous described, saiddelivery and replacement to occur at regular, specified intervals so asto continuously provide at least one customer with a new unit to replacea previously delivered unit.

The Claims of the Parent application Ser. No. 13/175,869 furtherdisclose the construction of said pet toilet unit wherein the unit isdesigned to both transport the living grass for initial use and to serveas a fully disposable pet commode; wherein the unit has a fitted coveror fold-back lid to facilitate the convenient shipping and disposal ofthe unit in its entirety; and wherein the unit has one or more openingsthat enable air circulation in the unit in a state where the cover orlid is covering the receptacle base.

The Claims of the Parent application Ser. No. 13/175,869 furtherdisclose a continuous delivery and replacement method that provides aself-contained unit that is delivered in its entirety when the shipmentof a new unit arrives; wherein said method maintains the freshness ofthe unit's living grass during shipment by the circulation of air;wherein said method maintains the freshness of the unit's living grassuntil the unit is discarded and replaced with a newly shipped unit; andwherein said method provides a unit that allows a pet's entry into theunit by the removal or folding down of the unit's cover.

This Continuing Application submits the following claims as beingconsistent with and supported by the substance of disclosures in theClaims and Specification of the previous parent Patent application Ser.No. 13/175,869 and its predecessor and related patent documents.

1. A method for providing for the delivery and replacement ofdisposable, living-grass pet toilet units, wherein each of the said pettoilet units that is delivered contains living grass within a disposablecontainer for collecting the bodily waste of a pet, wherein at least onecustomer can obtain the delivery of at least one said pet toilet unitthat is delivered as a self-contained unit to said customer, wherein atleast one customer, who has previously received delivery of at least onesaid pet toilet unit, in the manner previously described, can discardthe entire previously delivered unit following its use as a pet toilet,wherein at least one customer, who has previously received delivery ofat least one said pet toilet unit, in the manner previously described,has access to obtaining at least one new said pet toilet unit, which issubstantially similar to a previously delivered unit.
 2. A system forthe continuous, cyclical delivery and replacement of disposable,living-grass pet toilet units, wherein said continuous, cyclicaldelivery and replacement system provides that each of the said pettoilet units contains living grass within a disposable container forcollecting the bodily waste of a pet, wherein said continuous deliveryand replacement method provides that at least one customer can obtain atleast one said pet toilet unit that is delivered as a self-containedunit to said customer, wherein said continuous delivery and replacementsystem method provides that at least one customer can obtain said pettoilet units that are delivered on an ongoing basis, for a period oftime, wherein, at regular specified intervals, said continuous deliveryand replacement method provides that at least one customer can receivethe delivery of at least one said pet toilet unit, in its entirety, andthat said customer can subsequently discard that unit, in its entirety,and replace it with a newly delivered pet toilet unit, that is deliveredin the manner previously described, and that is substantially similar toa previously delivered unit, wherein the cyclical nature of said methodprovides at least one customer with access to a continuing supply ofsaid pet toilets units, delivered in the manner previously described,and wherein each new pet toilet unit that is delivered is substantiallysimilar to a previously delivered unit, and wherein variation(s) canoccur in the length of time the continuous delivery and replacementmethod is used by one or more customers.